Recent information from TRS and Texas retiree associations highlights a key issue which may affect retirees in the near future. The health care insurance program that most TRS retirees enroll in, TRS-Care, is rapidly approaching the limits of its current funding plan.
The program will become insufficiently funded in 2016 if no changes are made to increase funding. The funding issue would continue to worsen in 2017, culminating in a projected $1 billion deficit by the end of that year.
The issue will be discussed during the 84th legislative session in 2015. At that point, the legislature can decide to increase retiree premiums, increase state funding, or raise the deductible/co-insurance amounts. There is a high likelihood that the solution will be a combination of all three.
Regardless of what actions are taken, retirees should expect to see some sort of increase in premiums and/or increase in out-of-pocket maximums for health insurance.
Currently, the average retiree pays between five and ten percent of their monthly annuity income for health care premiums. If you are retiring within the next few years, you need to consider the possible significant increase in cost for medical coverage through TRS-Care.
The Open Transfer Period for teachers will take place March 24–May 2, 2014.
During this period, teachers are free to transfer between HISD campuses to fill open positions for the 2014–2015 school year. Both a teacher’s current and future principal must approve the transfer by signing off on an acknowledgement form.
For complete details, please see this related memo.
Trina Brumley
This week’s Shout Out goes to Trina Brumley, a teacher at Shadydale Elementary School, for the exceptional compassion she shows in serving students with behavioral problems or other special needs.
“Ms. Brumley treats her students with lots of love and respect,” says Yates High School secretary Carolyn Travis, who used to work with Brumley at the E. O. Smith Education Center. “She ensures that her students are presentable at all times, even if it means personally taking the time to wash their uniforms or brush their hair. She also rewards good behavior and changes other behavior that hinders learning, and I’ve watched as she transformed a class that was out of control to a well-behaved classroom of students during her first year of teaching.”
“It takes a special person to reach students with behavior problems and other types of special needs,” she added, “so a big Shout Out to Trina Brumley!”
| Know someone who deserves a shout out? Send an email to info@houstonisd.org with the subject line “Shout Out for eNews!” and tell us why. |
In this week’s I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, the district’s current longest-serving employee, DeAnda Elementary School teacher Dr. Johnnie Carter, talks about some of the biggest changes she’s seen in education over the past 54 years, which former superintendent spurred her to reach higher professionally, and what keeps her coming back to the classroom.
You were first hired back in November of 1959, when Eisenhower was president, gas only cost about 25 cents a gallon, and Alaska and Hawai’i had just been admitted to the union. I imagine you’ve seen some pretty big changes in education since that time. Which ones have made you the proudest to be a part of HISD?
Dr. Johnnie Carter
One thing is that schools were segregated when I started and there was a lot of push toward desegregation. There were people at the time in leadership positions willing to work cooperatively to integrate schools in a peaceful manner and to use educational programs as a basis. If I remember correctly, that was when magnet schools began to pop up.
A lot of people were not willing to change, but that the district did have a plan in mind that would offer something to all groups made it easier for people to accept it. Although the courts have long since settled it, the district continues to put a focus on diversity and offer the very best education to all children. Administrators look at what’s going on in society and the economy, and the ills that are occurring, and strive to rectify those things through school programs.
Right now, you teach fourth-graders at DeAnda Elementary School on Houston’s southeast side. Have you always taught that age group in that area?
No. I’ve been at DeAnda since it opened, but I started out with fourth-graders at the old Gregory on Wilson, one of the oldest black schools in the city. That became Gregory-Lincoln Educational Center, and later the Black Heritage Museum. I was there for 10 years.
After that, I taught at Burbank Elementary. That was during the “crossover,” when black teachers went to white schools and white teachers went to black ones. Back then, a lot of students’ needs were addressed at particular schools, rather than at the home campus, so when I first went to Burbank, I was teaching a reading clinic, and students were bused in from the surrounding schools.
I met (former superintendent of schools) Dr. Kaye Stripling at Burbank and she let me know that I needed to go further with my career. There was a program called Teacher Corps at the time, which was similar to Teach for America, and she encouraged me to apply for a job with the project, so I did. I worked with Roosevelt and Burbank elementaries through that, as well as Burbank Middle School and Sam Houston High School. I was also responsible for four interns from the University of Houston. Later, I worked with Ann Patterson at West University Elementary School and became a counselor.
What’s been your favorite subject to teach over the years?
Well, I’m not sure it really has to do with teaching. When I went back to school and earned my doctorate, my focus changed. Now, I concentrate more on policy and teaching philosophies, and how those things affect schools. With all the testing, it’s sometimes hard to look ahead, but I’m really big on being able to take the long view, and making sure kids learn the things they need to succeed, rather than just teaching to the test.
You recently marked your 54th anniversary with the district. How do you keep up with the young people in your classes and all of the technological advances in your profession?
I guess I have learned some way to get around that. I do the necessary and I get it done, but I am a very interactive and perceptive person, and I’ve found I can get more from people face to face. People will put things in an email that they won’t say to you face to face, and I don’t like that. I want to be able to ask clarifying questions.
Technology is wonderful, but if students can’t master the basics, how can they do anything requiring higher order thinking on a computer? You have to bring the knowledge to the computer.
After teaching for so long, what keeps you coming back to the classroom?
First of all, a feeling of security. I think I know what it takes to teach. No matter which movement is in vogue, the pendulum eventually swings back and forth. I know enough about that to be able to mediate the contradictions.
Do you ever plan to retire?
I never think about it. Work has always been a part of my life. I see people I worked with retire and come back as subs, and I don’t see the advantage in it. I prepared for this as a career. Why leave it if I like it and it continues to be satisfying?
| If you know a graduate, student, employee, or other member of Team HISD who should be featured here, please email us at info@houstonisd.org. |
All HISD campuses and offices will be closed for Spring Break from Monday, March 17, through Friday, March 21, 2014.
Schools and offices will reopen for normal business on Monday, March 24, 2014.
The HISD Police Department will be patrolling district facilities all during the holiday break. Emergencies may be reported by calling 713-892-7777.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- March 4-23: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
- March 10–April 4: second window for Early Notification Period
- March 14: “Pi” Day (3.14) @ the HMNS and Children’s Museum
- March 26 (.pdf): Payday
- March 29: Whole Kids Farmers’ Market
- March 29: Houston PBS Spelling Bee
- April 1: New employee orientation
- April 2: Light It Up Blue (autism awareness)
- April 6–12: Week of the Young Child
- April 9 (.pdf): Payday
- April 10: Regular Board meeting
- April 18: Good Friday (school in session)
- April 22: Earth Day
- April 23 (.pdf): Payday
- April 26: National Take-Back Day
- May 4: Lemonade Day
- May 8: Regular Board meeting
- May 10: Houston Art Car Parade
- May 17: Empty Bowls
- May 29: Last day of school (students)
- May 30-June 8: Graduation ceremonies (.pdf)
Elizabeth Webster and Caitlin O’Brien
Children need firm boundaries and clear expectations in order to feel safe, and those needs don’t stop at the schoolhouse door.
That’s why teachers Caitlin O’Brien and Elizabeth Webster use a “tag-team” approach to discipline with their students at Northline Elementary School. O’Brien teaches English language arts and social studies to a group of 35 fifth-graders, while Webster teaches that same group math and science.
“Ms. O’Brien and I have nearly identical rules and expectations for our two classes,” explained Webster. “And each group has a clipboard where notes are made throughout the day, so if students misbehave in my class and are moved to the ‘warning’ level, the notes reflect that, and they remain on that same level when they move back to Ms. O’Brien’s class.”
“Part of our rewards system involves outside activities where we develop strong bonds,” added O’Brien, “such as taking them to see a movie or playing soccer with them at recess. These activities help our students feel loved and valued, and through positive behavior recognition, they see that when they do kind things, someone notices. We also both make a conscious effort to remind students that none of us will settle for mediocrity, by calling them ‘math masters’ and ‘global leaders’ instead of students.”
“Above all, what allows us to work well as a team is the fact that Cait and I keep in nearly constant communication,” notes Webster, “even if it means we’re texting back and forth all Sunday afternoon about current reading levels, what our schedule looks like for the coming week, and who got in trouble for starting a spitball fight during ancillary period.”
| Had a breakthrough in your classroom? Tell us about it! Just send an email to info@houstonisd.org briefly describing your situation, and we could feature it here. |
Rita Robinson
This week’s Shout Out goes to Rita Robinson, a counselor at Coop Elementary School, from A. Nell Williams in HISD’s Office of Special Education.
“Ms. Robinson has been at Coop for over 25 years—her entire HISD career,” said Williams. “She works tirelessly for students, always going the extra mile. She even established a program where needy children who may not have anything to eat over the weekend can pick up a backpack of food every Friday before going home. She has a wonderful attitude and a ‘can-do’ spirit.”
Other Shout Outs go out this week to:
- Carla Barnes, Robin Bissell, Kelly Cline, Lola Cooper, Tabitha Davis, Rosa DeAnda, Michael Grahmann, Allison Groce, Joe Gutierrez, Lisa Harris, Nicole Holdman, Deitra Kendrick, Ellecia Knolle, Rhonda LeDuff, Mario Martinez, Jacqueline McWilliams, Ricky Oliphant, Lindsey Olsen, Miguel Orozco, Jo Reed, Augustina Reyes, Shontel Roberts, Shannon Smith, Barbara Valentine, Lillian Villareal, Andrea Williams, and Kenneth Williams, for their service on the 2013 District Advisory Committee. “They provide important consultation on a variety of issues related to district improvement and instructional programs,” said Director of School Support Services Mark White.
| Know someone who deserves a shout out? Send an email to info@houstonisd.org with the subject line “Shout Out for eNews!” and tell us why. |
Starting next month, Microsoft will no longer be supporting its Windows XP operating system—and that means an equipment/software upgrade is on the way for many district schools and offices.
Currently, more than 64,000 computers are still running Windows XP, but HISD’s Information Technology department has launched a campaign to completely upgrade these devices before the 2014–2015 school year begins.
Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Why is this upgrade necessary?
Most software applications are updated on a regular basis as a matter of course by developers to fix problems, add requested features, and improve end-users’ overall experience. Windows is no different. Since the previous version will no longer be supported by the manufacturer starting in April, the time is right to upgrade.
Who will be affected?
Anyone who uses a computer on a daily basis. Hard drives may simply need to be re-imaged and have the latest version of the operating system installed, but computers could be completely replaced if they are deemed too old to support the latest operating system.
What do I need to do?
Nothing just yet. A pilot program has been launched at eight locations during the first weeks of March to streamline the process, and technology teams will be visiting all campuses and work locations over the next six months to complete an inventory and provide administrators with a detailed breakdown of their equipment’s status. Teams will usually return the next day to upgrade eligible devices and remove obsolete equipment. Affected employees will be asked to save their files to a flash or network and make a note of their favorite internet sites and any specialized software or applications that may need to be reinstalled.
How is the replacement of campus critical machines being handled?
Campus critical devices (such as those used for testing or other crucial daily business functions) will not be removed until replacement equipment has been delivered, set up, and tested.
What is the timeline for this campaign?
Work at both campus and non-instructional locations will begin on March 24. All work is expected to be complete by Aug. 22, 2014. Every effort will be made to avoid instructional locations during testing “dead weeks.”
The first round of HISD’s new “4 for $40” weight-loss challenge ended on March 5, but if you didn’t quite drop the pounds you were hoping to, don’t be discouraged.
There are still plenty of opportunities to earn incentives through this competition— including at least one that doesn’t require losing weight! For instance, everyone who weighed in and out for the first month of the contest will automatically be entered into a drawing, and five lucky winners will be selected to receive a FitBit in April.
In addition, every team that reached its collective goal (of losing at least four pounds each) will be entered into a drawing to receive free iPads (one for each member!).
Perhaps the best news is that it’s not too late to receive incentives for staying on track, even if you missed your official “weigh-out” for the first month. There are still three months left in the contest, so just keep going, and if you tip the scales at eight pounds less than you did when you first stepped on it at the initial weigh-in, you’ll be eligible to receive the second ‘4 for $40’ incentive.
About 5,500 employees are participating in the weight-loss challenge. The first pay-out is expected to appear in eligible employees’ paychecks by April.
Dr. Traci Duck
Sometimes, students’ success depends on an educator’s ability to break assignments down into their smallest components. That’s the philosophy Dr. Traci Duck lives by in her science classes at Deady Middle School, and one of the reasons she uses the “break it down” Teach Like a Champion (TLAC) technique with her students.
“As an almost cult-like follower of (the late, legendary basketball Coach) John Wooden,” said Dr. Duck, “I loved seeing him quoted in Doug Lemov’s TLAC materials. He often shared, ‘If you want to win championships, you must take care of the smallest of details.’ And each season on the first day of practice, Wooden would instruct his players to take off their shoes and socks. Then he would then teach them, in great detail, how to put their shoes and socks on properly. Why? Because he knew blisters were a huge issue that caused his players pain. And he wanted to ‘break it down’ and teach his players to avoid blisters. That started with the simple concept of putting their socks on correctly and tying their shoes properly.”
Dr. Duck noted that the “break it down” concept obviously worked well for Coach Wooden, since his teams went on to win 10 NCAA championships during his 27 years at the University of California, Los Angeles. But after studying the technique for some time, she began to question her own adherence to the method. “Am I starting with the tie-your-shoe concept in my classroom,” she asked herself, “or am I simply jabbering on about grand science concepts while my students are sitting there with blisters on their feet?”
Now, she says proudly, “I make sure I start with step one, instead of jumping to step 10 and assuming my students will understand steps 2 through 8 on their own. Putting the time in to ‘break it down’ allows the students a greater chance of success with the big concept.”
| Had a breakthrough in your classroom? Tell us about it! Just send an email to info@houstonisd.org briefly describing your situation, and we could feature it here. |
